The present invention relates to an inflatable apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to a vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable curtain that inflates from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle in the event of a side impact or rollover. A known inflatable curtain is inflated from a deflated condition by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable curtain through a fill tube.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. The apparatus also includes a plastic housing for storing the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device in a stored position. An inflation fluid source provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. A fill tube directs the inflation fluid into the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to inflate the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The fill tube is connected to the housing by plastic connection portions of the housing that have a surface in continuous engagement with portions of an outer surface of the fill tube. The connection portions and the remaining portions of the housing are constructed of a single piece of homogeneous plastic material.